Chapter 55

This was an extremely ordinary meeting, technically speaking, a beneficial communication between the two parties involved in the collaboration regarding certain details. In reality, it was just a few young people, driven by curiosity, finding an excuse to meet.

The unexpected conflict at the bar not only did not adversely affect this meeting, but it even became an unexpected bonus. On the return flight, Mi Hu and Liu Jington pretended to be detectives and made such a deduction: the bar incident was actually a staged event, a trap pre-arranged by Gong Chengen and Wang Qianqian.

However, the two quickly overturned this deduction because the basis for this deduction was that they first had to know about Liu Jington's immense potential. Liu Jington naturally knew that the novels in his mind would bring about significant changes to the future film and television industry, and Mi Hu had unconditional trust in him. Therefore, they made such an inference. However, not everyone had this level of confidence and trust.

"According to previous gossip, Gong Chengpin of the Gong family is very capable and can be considered the most outstanding figure among the younger generation of the Gong family. Although he usually acts very low-key, his sharp and precise style of work often makes him a headline in the media. His prominence is only comparable to the Gong family's prince, who frequently changes celebrity girlfriends," Mi Hu took a sip of water and continued, "I didn't expect that Gong Chengen, whom we met today, would also be so capable."

Liu Jington smiled and said, "For these rich kids to become well-known, the most effective method is to date female celebrities. I think most of the news reported by the media is more or less related to this."

"So it's all gossip?"

"Right, by the way, who is this prince you mentioned?"

"Chairman of the Longchuan Group and the biggest backer of Ocean TV, Wang Qisen's grandson. The internet and media call him 'Prince,' but I don't know his real name."

"Unknown, hence impressive."

"Let's not talk about this gossip anymore. The line you mentioned about beauty fading, is that really the theme of your new novel?"

Liu Jington nodded.

"What kind of story is it? It sounds a bit tragic."

Liu Jington thought back to when he read "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch," where the unfulfilled love between Zhuo Yihang and Lian Nixiang made him depressed for a long time, even to the point of considering writing a sequel.

"It's about a female thief who falls in love with a disciple of a prestigious sect, but due to various reasons, they are destined to be apart. In the end, the woman's hair turns white overnight out of love."

"Was she betrayed by the male lead?"

Liu Jington was momentarily at a loss for how to answer. In theory, Lian Nixiang's white hair was for Zhuo Yihang, but from another perspective, when Zhuo Yihang injured Lian Nixiang, his mind was not clear, and his brain was half-damaged. The brain-dead slingshot he fired was completely involuntary.

In that world, the debate over whether Zhuo Yihang betrayed Lian Nixiang never ceased. Like all other works, these topics have yet to reach a conclusion.

Even so, as the male lead in a martial arts novel, Zhuo Yihang was always constrained by the views of his sect and burdened with many responsibilities, which made readers feel uncomfortable. Readers wanted to see a Zhuo Yihang who dared to stand against the world and tell everyone who opposed his relationship with Lian Nixiang to go to hell, as in "I can give up the whole world, but you will always be in my heart."

Readers, at least when Liu Jington read this story, felt this way. Of course, some analyses suggested that the reason Zhuo Yihang and Lian Nixiang did not have a happy ending was due to the inherent opposition in their backgrounds and situations.

Zhuo Yihang came from a scholarly family and was a legitimate disciple of a prestigious sect. From a young age, he was influenced by the values of respecting teachers and upholding ethics. Lian Nixiang, on the other hand, grew up drinking wolf's milk. Although she was willing to give up everything for her love of Zhuo Yihang, as a thief, she had nothing to begin with.

This argument naturally fit the story's logic, but such a plot twist was not just a matter of the author's whim. As long as the groundwork was laid properly, it was not impossible for Zhuo Yihang to ignore his uncles and the world's opinions and meet Lian Nixiang in the Valley of Heartbreak sixteen years later.

Even so, Liu Jington would not make any changes to this story. Respecting the original work was his ironclad rule in this life. Moreover, he had calmly analyzed the author's original intention in creating the character of the White-Haired Witch—a complete declaration of a woman's love, actively pursuing love but never becoming a beggar for it.

"What are you thinking about?" Mi Hu waved her hand in front of Liu Jington's face and asked.

Liu Jington came back to his senses and smiled, "It's not that simple. I think there's something else in this story, but I can't put it into words yet. Prematurely setting the tone is not good for writing or reading."

Mi Hu nodded, thought for a moment, and asked, "You said it has a connection to the Seven Swords?"

"Yes, some character connections, and the story background is before the Seven Swords. This is something novelists like to do."

"Novelists?" Mi Hu smiled.

Liu Jington lowered his head slightly and smiled, "So I want to learn from them."

Liu Jington had just stepped out of the role and returned to the stance of a reader, so his words were caught by Mi Hu.

"Actually, there are several benefits to doing this. First, there's the advertising effect. Second, it can form a longitudinal series, giving the story a sense of reality. Third, it can fill in some gaps in the plot and characters that were not fully developed in a previous work," Mi Hu said in an editor's tone.

"Another point is that it saves a lot of trouble. Creating a character is a big project for an author. If there's a ready-made one to use, why not?"

"Stay tuned," Mi Hu seemed to think of something, hesitated, and said, "Can I...?"

Liu Jington smiled and said, "Like 'The Seven Swords Descend from Tian Shan,' you'll be the first reader."

Mi Hu blushed and smiled, quickly changing the subject, "What do you think of Wang Qianqian?"

"Somewhat talented, very guarded, likes to say things that are off the mark. She seems to have a strong personality and be independent, but it's actually a way of self-protection."

Mi Hu's expression was a bit strange, "You've studied her quite thoroughly."

Liu Jington smiled nonchalantly, "Just my first impression."

"What about me?" Mi Hu asked with a half-smile.

This might be a natural competitive attitude among girls. After hearing an evaluation of another girl, they immediately compare it to themselves.

"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. If I were to evaluate you, you'd be asking for compliments, right?" Liu Jington cleverly deflected.

Mi Hu frowned, "I don't like Xi Shi."

After "The Sword of the Yue Maiden" was released, some female readers developed a sense of animosity toward Xi Shi, a result Liu Jington did not anticipate.

...

At the end of August, Liu Jington took Mi Hu to Jianghai for a trip. Afterward, Liu Jington decided to publish "The Legend of the White-Haired Witch" first. At this time, the plot of "The Seven Swords Descend from Tian Shan" was gradually unfolding, and the journey of Shu Ke and Bei Ta was becoming increasingly exciting. Plans for the adaptation into comics and animations were already on the agenda.

Additionally, new forces in martial arts literature, represented by Dingjie Culture's Beige Hall, were emerging like mushrooms after rain. The new work "Tian Luo Tower" by Beige Hall received full-channel promotion from Dingjie Culture, and the first chapter published in the gift issue of "Ding Fantasy" received very positive feedback.

Xue Muliang's major new work "The Sad Forest" also received increasingly enthusiastic discussion as the plot progressed.

After "Yuan Shang Cao" obtained its publication number, the release date for the second season was finally determined. Han Shuo made some explanations on his microblog and promised that subsequent publications would be on time, of high quality, and in sufficient quantity.

...

"I don't know what the specific story will be like, but I can make a preliminary conclusion: after this story comes out, future martial arts and even other types of novels will feature similar plot elements."

Lu Yichou, after seeing Liu Jington's message about the new book, replied in this way.

Liu Jington was going to register at Yuehe No. 1 High School the next day, officially becoming a high school student. That night, he told his publisher, Lu Yichou, about his plan to write two books simultaneously (actually three). Since the later operations of this novel would be handed over to Qianhong, he wanted to give Lu Yichou a heads-up in advance, both to show respect and to give him enough time to make arrangements.

"About when can you submit the manuscript?"

Liu Jington had already calculated the time and replied, "Mid-October, at the latest early November."

"Okay, the time is sufficient. Are you sure you won't serialize it?" Lu Yichou asked again, as authors with such qualifications almost never chose to do so, as they would receive double the royalties.

"Definitely."

"Alright, I'll do the supporting work."

"Before, I didn't want anyone to know about this. Let's do the promotion three days in advance."

"I understand. You can rest assured; I'll do my best to ensure that the book creates the desired impact when it is released."

Liu Jington replied, "Thanks."

Lu Yichou frankly replied, "This is a loss for you. From a business perspective, I wish all authors of your level would do this."

This flattery was subtle and not overly sweet, reaching a natural and pure state. Even Liu Jington, who had lived two lives, felt a slight sense of satisfaction.

...

Like Liu Jington, Gong Chengen also began writing two books simultaneously. The preparations for "The Sword of the Yue Maiden" were gradually getting on track, and he needed to intervene less and less. He was now thinking more about "Bao Qingtian," but this time, he did not rush to tell his father and grandfather about this idea. Instead, he organized his thoughts and approached his older brother.

After listening to his younger brother's plan, Gong Chengpin's expression changed slightly. The natural sensitivity of a TV family member allowed him to sense the enormous business opportunity hidden behind this plan. After thinking for half an hour, he made a decision.

"We will work together on this project and make it the key project for the 50th anniversary assessment. I'll be your deputy," Gong Chengpin said firmly to his younger brother.